Locking mechanism for chair seats



1949' J. H. HOWER 2,479,361

LOCKING MECHANISM FOR CHAIR SEATS Filed Aug. 27, 1947 y /z 2i 3' l g, /f l H Z! "17111/1 Patented Aug. 16, 1949 LOCKING MECHANISM FOR CHAIR SEATS James. H. Hower, Northficld, N. J., assignor to Bower-White Co. Inc., Atlantic City, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application August 27, 1947, Serial No. 770,783

' 1 My invention relates to new and useful improvements in a locking mechanism for chair seats, and has for an object to provide a locking mechanism wherein a removable unit including a main lock and a supplemental lock is to be fastened to the under-surface of the seat of the chair; and this main lock in turn operates a lever and bolt also secured to the chair so that the chair seat may be locked in its upper or nonusable position.

The present application is a companion to an application about to be filed by me, the said application about to be filed by me relating more in detail to the lock and coin-control of the locking mechanism. l v

Still another object of the present application 3 Claims. (01. 155-83) is to provide a lever and bolt arrangement that is permanently secured to the bracket ofthe chair seat; and wherein the lock mechanism in the form of a unit is also fitted to the chair seat so that this look mechanism on the under-surface of the chair seat, may operate the bolt and lever arrangement and lock the seat in its upper or non-usable position until again unlocked by the user.

Furthermore, this look mechanism unit is arranged so that it can be removed at any time by using a special key with the supplemental lock, and as the various lock mechanism units will be interchangeable, a difi'erent unit can be applied to the chair seat without in any way affecting the function of locking and unlocking the chair seat.

Another object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism unit for a chair seat, especially to be used at race tracks, so that the user, when leaving his chair to place a bet or to collect a bet, and wishing to reserve the seatuntil he returns, can raise the seat and then look it in its upper position.

Still another object of the invention'is to make L the lock mechanism unit quickly removable, so that the unit can be changed from day today, if desired, by providing a master key to an attendant.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a locking mechanism unit for folding-chair seats, wherein the main operating lever may be permanently applied to' the bracket of the chair seat, while a support for the lock unit may be permanently fastened to the under-surface of the chair seat, so that it is but a matter of a moment to fasten the lock unit in place to actuate the operating lever. a

With these and other objects in view, theinvention consists in certain new and novel arrangements and combination of parts as will be hereinafter'more fully described and pointed out in the claims.

Referring now to the drawings, showing a preferred embodiment,

Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a chair with its seat folded to its upper or non-usable position and showing the locking mechanism unit for locking the seat in this position,

Fig. 2 is anenlarged, sectional view taken on line 22 of Fig. 1, i

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, enlarged, sectional View tagen on line 4-4 of Fig. 2, showing a part of the lock casing or unit and the bearing for the seat and the bolt and lever mechanism extendinginto the lock casing or unit,

Fig, 5 is a fragmentary, perspective showing the lock bolt and the upper end of the main operating lever, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary, detail View, showing the sliding panel in the lower portion of the casing of the lock unit, permitting the unit to be quickly removed from the chair seat.

At the outset, it might be mentioned that the companion application shows a similar locking arrangement, but wherein the lock is a coincontrolled one. In the present application, however, neither the specific mechanism of the lock chair, as shown in the companion application;

but, as above mentioned, this application is illus- Ttrative of the invention wherein either a coincontrolledor a non-coin-controlled lock may be used.

Referring now more particularly to the several views and, for the moment, to Fig. 1, there is shown the chair I with its folding seat 2 which is supported by the like bracket arms 3 that are supported in the ball bearing mountings 4 that are in turn formed in the standards or frames 5 of the chair I, and a U-shaped bar 5 is welded to the feet of the standards 5 to prevent them from spreading and also aid against the chair tipping over.

Bolted or screwed to the under-surface of the slats 6 of the seat 2, as may be seen in Figs. 2 and 3, and slightly spaced therefrom is the vertical metal plate 1 with the centrally located lug I formed on the outer surface and at the bottom edge of the plate 7, which plate 1 also is undercut along its edges as at 8, and which plate T removably holds the lock unit, as will be hereinafter mentioned.

As the bracket arms 3 are alike, except one is.

a right one and the other is a left, a description of one will be a description of both. Itwill benoticed that the bracket arm 3 widens as at Ill at its lower end and has the outstanding flange II which cooperates with the other half; of the ball;

bearing mounting 4.

As may be seen in the several figures, there is also a small bent-up arm bracket l2 through which passes the bolt l3 that also passesthrough aslot: I4 in the flange II, and into the standard 5 to clamp the parts and limit" the" downward movement of the seat 2.

Also drilled in this flange l lis-an aperture l5 so that what I term a pin bolt l6 may be passed therethrough to register with an aperture I! in the standard 5 so that when this pin bolt l6 issin its forward position. or locking position, that is, extending into the aperture ii" and, the'bracket 3, the seat 2 will be in a locked position.

This pin bolt 16 isin turn secured as at l8. to the main operating lever [9 which in. turn is pivoted as at 2i near-the lower end of'the enlarged portion I3 of the bracket 3.

Also, there is a small collar 22 near the inner end of the pin'bolt It so that a spring 23 interposed between the collar 22 and the flange H of the bracket 3 will normally hold the lever [9 in its inoperative position andnaturally the pin bolt It in a withdrawn position from the aperture I'l. Thus; we have secured to one of the supporting-brackets 3' for the seat 2 a main operating lever l9 and a pin bolt l6 operatedthereby that will pass into aregistering aperture I 1, when the bracket 3T and the seat 2 are in a raised position, to:thus hold the seat 2 against movement.

Thus, the only parts-necessary to permanently fasten, to thechair I for locking the seat 2 inits upper position are the aforementioned locking lever l9, the pin bolt E5 mounted on the bracket 3, and themetal plate '5 to receive the lock unit, which plate as heretofore mentioned, is mounted on the under-surface of the slats 6 of the seal-.2.

Referring now to Figs. 1, 2 and-3, there will be seen the lock unit 24, consisting of a casing 24, which casing 24 may be of brass or cast metal, is rectangular in shape, and has its rear panel 25 dovetailed as at 25 to slidingly'fit on the aforementioned plate 1. Thus, to removably place the lock unit 24 on the seat 2, it is only necessary to have the rear panel 25 properly engage with the plate 1 so that the unit 24 may be pushed down to the position shown in Fig. 1.

However, so that this lock unit 24 may be locked in position, the lower panel 26 is made to slide transversely in the casing 24. There is a small cut-out portion 21 about centrally of its length, and a slot 21' in the back of the casing 24, so that when this cut-outportion 21 registers with the aforementioned lug l on the plate 'I', the unit-x24 maybe pushed down to the final position, as shown in Fig. 3.

Also,- on this bottom plate- 26 are the two up- '4 standing lugs 28 in which there will be spaced the small rocker arm 29 which extends from a supplemental lock 30, so that a special key may be placed in this lock 30 to operate this rocker arm 29 to in turn transversely move the bottom plate 26. Thus, after the lug l is passed through the slot 2'! in the bottom plate 25, the rocker arm 29 will be turned to move the plate 23 so that the slot 21 no longer-registers with the lug 1. Thus the unit 24 will be locked in place until a key is again used to operate the rocker arm '29 to move the plate'26. and the slot 21 in registry with the lug 1 of the unit 24.

Thus, it is .but' a matter of a moment to slip the unit- 24 down the plate 1, have the slot 2'! in the bottom plate-25 register with the lug 1', and then turnthe key: in'the supplemental lock 38 to move the slot 2'! out of registry with the lug l.

This bottom plate 26 of the unit 24 also has the aperture 3! in its; bottom at one side, as shown in Fig. 6; so that the main operating-lever I9.- may: extend through theaperture 3| and up into the unit 24, asthis lever- 59 is to be operated by -a lock bolt, 34 (now to be described) in the unit 24. 1

Now, mounted within; the unit-24 is the main lock- 32, as ma beseen-in- Fig. 3; which is operatedby, a; furnished key, 33. This may be any form of keylock, provided it has the-bolt 34 that is advanced and retracted by a turn of the. key

As may be seen in Fig. 5, the main operating lever 19 extends upwardly through the lock casing, 24 of the unit-24 and bearsgagainstthe side of the lock 32 so that when the lock bolti34'is operated by thekey 33and advanced; it will push the main operating lever, l9 to the right side'of the unit '24v (seeliig: 1), and'inturn push the ,pin bolt [6 into the aperture ll formed in the standard-v orside 5 of thechair I if the seat 2 is in its raised posit-ione 1 a To unloclethe seat 250 that. it can be lowered, it. will only be necessary to turn the key 33 in, the opposite direction, to; thus retract the bolt 34; while the spring 23 on the pin bolt IE will force the main operating' lever l3 back against the side of the lock 32 and withdraw. thepin bolt [6 from its-aperture I! so. that the seat 2 may now, of course, be lowered.

In Fig. 1, I have diagrammatically illustrated a coin-controlled mechanism 35 which is simply to illustrate that, if desired, besides the main lock that controls the bolt 34, a coin-control mechanism, as shown in the companion case, might be included; so that it would beimpossible to turn the key 33untilthe mechanism is released by a coin placed in the unit 24;

However, as earlier mentioned in the application, I do not wish to be limited to a coin-controlled locking arrangement, as a key can be-furnished to the purchaser or user of the seat as wellas using a coin-controlled lock.

Itwill also be understood that should the lock be a coin-controlled one, then when the unit 24 is unlocked tobe removed; that is, the lower panel 26 moved'transversely, any money in the unit 24 may be removed by-the attendant as only the attendant will have the key that will unlock the tion, that is, by simply fitting an operating lever and pin bolt to one of the brackets that supports the seat; providing apertures for the pin bolt in the bracket and chair frame, and by providing a unit in which there is a lock for operating the main operating lever to advance the pin bolt to lock the chair.

Furthermore, I have provided a supplemental lock for locking the unit to the chair so that locks can be interchangeably placed on the chairs.

Finally, it will be understood that the lock might be coin-controlled or non-coin-controlled, as desired.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In combination with a chair having a frame, a seat and brackets pivotally mounted to the frame for supporting the seat, a main operating lever carried by one of the said brackets and extending upwardly parallel with the bottom of the seat, a pin bolt connected to the main operating lever, the frame of the chair provided with an aperture to form a keeper for said pin bolt only when the seat is pivoted to its upper position, a supporting plate secured to the bottom of the seat and in close proximity to the upper end of the aforementioned main operating lever, a locking unit slideably secured on said plate, and the said lever extending upwardly into the said unit, the said unit including a lock having a key operated bolt and the said bolt in contact with said main operating lever, whereby when the key operated bolt is advanced it will in turn force the pin bolt into said keeper to thereby lock the seat in its upper position; and a spring on said pin bolt and in contact with said bracket and said main operating lever for normally holding the pin bolt and the main operating lever in a retracted position.

2. In combination with a chair, having a frame, brackets and a pivotal seat carried by said brackets, a main operating lever also carried by one of the said brackets, a pin bolt permanently secured to the said lever, the frame having a keeper to receive the pin bolt when the seat is pivoted to its upper position, a supporting plate secured to the bottom of the seat and in close proximity to the said main operating lever, a locking unit provided with an aperture in its bottom and slideably mounted on said plate and adapted to receive the main operating lever, key operated means in the unit including a bolt for moving the said main operating lever to thus operate the pin bolt for locking and unlocking the seat, and means for locking the unit to said plate.

3. In a chair having a frame, brackets and a pivotal seat carried by said brackets, the frame provided with a keeper, a lever and a pin bolt carried by one of the said brackets, a supporting plate secured to the under-surface of the seat and in close proximity to the upper end of said lever, a lug near the lower end of the said supporting plate, a locking unit including a casing and slideably mounted on said supporting plate, the rear of the casing having an aperture through which said lug extends, a slideable plate in the bottom of the casing and provided with a further aperture to receive said main operating lever, and said slideable plate also provided with a notch in its rear edge to be brought in to and out of registry with the aforementioned lug, a lock in said unit including a bolt for'operating the main lever to thus lock and unlock the seat, and a further lock for moving the bottom plate to bring its notch in to and out of registry with the said lug for unlocking and locking the unit with respect to said supporting plate.

JAMES H. I-IOWER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 185,512 Floyd Mar. 19, 1876 247,350 Hofstatter Sept. 20, 1881 988,059 Allen Mar. 28, 1911 1,853,507 Chandler Apr. 12, 1932 

